The present disclosure relates to support surfaces, such as mattresses, on which patients are supported in hospitals, acute care facilities, and other patient care environments. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to adjustable support surfaces that are configured to accommodate and operate with a variety bed frames having sections that extend and retract.
Hospital bed frames with extendable and retractable foot sections are well-known in the art of patient supports. The Hill-Rom TotalCare® and VersaCare® beds are examples of hospital beds that offer extendable and retractable foot sections. Additionally, bed frames having retracting side sections are known and one example of such a bed frame is the Hill-Rom Excel Care® bariatric bed.
Often, hospital bed frames with integrated mattresses also have an integrated control system to control bed frame functions and mattress functions. Such integrated control systems operate to inflate or deflate bladders of the mattress concurrently with the extension or retraction of one or more hospital bed frame sections. Overrun or billowing of the mattress is avoided by coordinating the retraction of both the bed frame section and the associated mattress section. Concurrent retraction also may facilitate more consistent interface pressures between the mattress section and the patient.
Mattress replacement systems are sometimes used to replace existing mattresses on bed frames. This may done to change the type of mattress functionality available on the bed frame or simply to replace an old or worn out mattress. Thus, there is a possibility that, sometimes, a caregiver or hospital administrator may want to use a hospital bed frame that includes an extendable and retractable section in conjunction with a mattress that is not controlled by the hospital bed frame controller. In prior art systems, the incompatible mattress may possibly overrun the edges or ends of the hospital bed or the replacement surface may billow when the supporting hospital bed section retracts. Thus, there is a need for a mattress replacement system that has its own bladder inflation control system but that can be used on hospital bed frames having one or more extendable and retractable bed frame sections.